Month: May 2016

* I know it’s Tuesday, but I took off for the holiday yesterday, so I’m playing catchup.

So the first three months of the year, I upped my ok cupid game, put myself out there and did actually end up dating someone for nearly a month. After an abrupt breakup, it was time to rethink my strategy and get back out there. Why? Because why sit alone sniveling when you can go find someone who you really want to be with who really likes you?

After I got done being angry about my breakup, I had to really ask myself what it was I wanted. Did I just want sex, did I want to get married, and what kind of expectations did I have from the men I was communicating with? Was it about not being alone? What kind of person did I really want? I had to dig really deep to figure out that I wanted someone who would reflect me back to me in a positive light. I’m not sure if that’s narcissistic or anything, but that’s what I want. I also figured out that I just like going out and I don’t really need a boyfriend to do that, just some cash in my pocket.

I hung out on ok cupid for a week or two before deciding that their method didn’t really work for me. I did get messages, I did have phone conversations, but by and large I felt that the questions didn’t really tell you what the person was about, nor did it weed out the wrong types. I put up profiles on some other online dating sites and compared the types of results I was getting to determine if I wanted to keep going. April was bad because I was sad about the breakup and pushing myself to try new things, but by May I had a new game plan; I was going to start going out by myself.

I actually ended up meeting someone that way, so it worked out. There’s something really gratifying about having someone look at you in real life and be attracted to you. It’s also amazing to look at someone and feel yourself liking them. So old fashioned! And because I was paying my own way, there wasn’t the idea that I owed him or that he was buying me. It was more equal. Which of course makes regular dating, where the man is expected to pay feel even more confining to me. It’s funny how, after all this feminist talk, it’s still expected that men pay a woman’s way on a date. I’m not saying I don’t like that, I would be a hypocrite to say that, but paying for your own beer won’t kill you.

I didn’t want to stop messing around with my online dating profiles yet, so while I’m getting to know my new friend, I’ve been experimenting with new methods to disrupt the process and make it work. I deleted the profiles on sites that didn’t have a good pool of men to choose from and concentrated on tinder. I noticed that I wasn’t getting very many tinder matches, so I decided to just right swipe everything in my path. The result? The first day I did that, I unearthed 20 matches.

They were reasonably attractive, educated, seemed to be gainfully employed, different races. One didn’t speak English, so I’m iffy about that. I also came across someone that I used to be good friends with ages ago, so that was nice. Even if I don’t end up with a tinder guy, the men are out there if you’re willing to just let go and right swipe. Nobody can see you, and you can unmatch if you think it won’t work. But I think it’s gratifying to see that people are willing to pick you, even if they’re not what you think you want.

Because let’s be real, even the rich and fabulous break up. Even supermodels get rejected. So there’s no real reason that you can’t find someone to be with…unless you just don’t want to.

After visiting with Private Rx, It was time to hit the Pura D’or table. I wasn’t familiar with the brand at all? But it turns out that they’re top sellers on Amazon so me not knowing about them was not a problem. The first thing that struck me was the generous size of these shampoo bottles. Also the pump top, because when you’re in the bath you can just pump some product in your hand and go to work. This is realistic. The shampoos and conditioners are made up of 99% plant based ingredients with no sulfates or parabens. And they’re unisex, so you can share them with your partner.

The Blue Line, featured above, addresses hair loss issues and dandruff/dry scalp. I immediately grabbed the Scalp Therapy shampoo , which is a blend of tea tree, peppermint and lavender oils, aloe vera, patchouli oil, and vitamins b&d to get at ‘the root of the problem’. Even if you don’t have dandruff, this is a great shampoo to detox hair of product buildup.

I also snagged the Brighten & Renew Skin Overnight Therapy with 20% Vitamin C. It has retinol to help fade age spots, ferulic acid and super antioxidants to smooth wrinkles and fine lines. I’m all over that. You cleanse your skin and smooth it on before bedtime. Reviewcoming soon!

You just don’t have enough stuff for your eyebrows. You don’t. You know why? Because while every other beauty brand covers the basics, Elke by Elke Von Freudenberg goes in, goes deep, and goes hard. This is hardcore brow maintenance. I have never seen this much product specifically for my eyebrows, and I admit to confusion and excitement. They had a a special Brow Mascara, pots of Brow Shadow (including a Night Brow Shadow that had shimmery glitter) , and pencils galore. They even had special brow brushes, not to be confused with the makeup brushes you already have. I’m salivating over the Duo Brow Brush for Wonderbrowtm wich is a spoolie on one end and highlighter/liner brish on the other. Gorgeous.

My brows were still shaped after a threading by Wink at the Real Simple event last month, but Elke reps stepped in and upped the game by filling in my naturally sparse brows and adding with a more natural looking highligher line. Pretty, right? Would we say these brows are on fleek? I’m going to put my highlighter on with a brush from now on. After three years of blogging, I’m finally getting it; beauty products make you beautiful.

Next stop, Jouviance! As with many of Spotlight Day’s brands, Jouviance sprang from the mind of a reputable healthcare professional. The biggest skincare brand straight out of Canada was created by president and bio-chemist Roger Southin and renowned Canadian dermatologist, Dr. Guy Sylvestre in 2003. Among its many successful products are the Rejuvenating 3-in-1 Anti-Aging Cream, RestructivSRD Anti-Aging Cream, and RestructivSRD Collagen Boost. The products, which range from $22 to $69 (for the 3-in-1 Anti Aging Cream #investment), are now available at select CVS here in the U.S. Jouviance is so good that product-mad beauty mavens in Korea clamor for them. That’s hot.

Their newest collection, Glyco-Laser Soft Peels, is an at-home treatment that brings you softer skin overnight. Using safe amounts of Alpha Hydroxy, Beta, and Glycolic Acids, the peels smooth on after cleansing to gently remove the dead skin that dulls your complexion. It helps your skin produce collagen and elastin, hydrates, and boosts your skincare routine. Jojoba seed oil, vitamin E, aloe and shea butter moisturize and enrich, so you basically end up with what everyone wants: glowing, healthy skin. We’ll definitely be talking about Jouviance again, soon.

The last brand I met was Youth Corridor, a new collection of high-end skincare developed by Dr. Gerad Imber. The products are supposed to bring you back to that time when ‘you radiate beauty, health, energy and vitality’ according to the doctor. The collection features products like Ultimate Eye and Neck Repair Creme, a combination that I haven’t seen. Eye products are usually separate, but this makes sense, with the advance of tech neck. They gave us samples of the Ultimate Antioxidant C Boost Serum, which is designed to enhance the skin’s rejuvenation process, and I guarantee it works. Almost instantly. I put a few drops on the back of my hand and the surface appearance smoothed, kind of dramatically. Definitely impressive.

Talking about and sampling beauty products is hard work! Of course, no event is complete without refreshments, and we had some awesome cocktails and sandwiches to revive us. We also had Daily Greens, a new juice brand based in Austin that’s taking over the country. The founder, Shauna Martin, started the company after managing to survive cancer. Once she recovered, her passion for life led her to juicing and eating healthier foods, a good way to bolster a ravaged immune system.

The cold pressed juices have names like Elevate, Harmony and Purity and contain 6 pounds of raw pressed produce in every bottle. I snagged a few bottles, and was an instant fan. Harmony was the sweetest, but I added fresh lemon and a drop of honey to Purity which was a bit blander. I prefer these to Suja, which has kind of a funky flavor. Daily Greens was cleaner, refreshing, and definitely going to be a staple in my diet.

I got invited to this a month ago and have been fidgeting with anticipation for the last four weeks. Beautypress is the resource that beauty editors use to find the next lifesaving product for beauty fans everywhere. They had a super lineup of brands to present and I was so there for all of it!

My first stop was the complimentary mani table. Primp and Polish set up a light filled insta-spa on location with sick uv dryers that set the gel manicures in seconds. I got a light blue polish with polka dot pattern. I am going to admit right now that I only let them do one nail, because I have no patience at all. I really like doing my own nails (now that i know how) so it’s hard to let anyone else do them. It was cute, though. And I got a sample of Dazzle Dry nail & cuticle oil, which I’ve been using all week. My cuticles are gorgeous.

After grabbing a hibiscus cocktail, I went to check out the Eaudeluxe.com perfume bottle display. Gorgeous vintage bottles, some made by Baccarat and Lalique.

It was like a little glass oasis.

After that I headed over to meet Private Rx. This was a real eye opener, so It’s good that I had a little r & r in the pretty perfume land.

Most beauty brands address the areas of concern on your face, but Private Rx is way more concerned with what’s between your legs. Developed by gynecologist and surgeon Dr. Ronald D. Blatt, Private RX is a collection of intimate skin care that addresses a woman’s most private area. The brand’s Cooling Pads and Soothing Serum are for post waxing and shaving, and help to prevent ingrown hairs. I need these.

On a deeper level, there’s an Internal Vaginal Moisturizer that can provide menopausal women with 3 days of vaginal moisture. And because age is nothing but a number in 2016, there’s a Personal Vaginal Lubricant, for those deep meaningful encounters. I’m kind of fascinated, because of all the things I’ve received, vaginal moisturizer has never been in my goodie bag.

So loving Beautypress right now.

I got to spend some quality time with the Curl Keeper team (I actually featured them in my Winter Haircare Roundup) face to face, which is always nice. When you meet people at events like Spotlight Day, you really get to see how excited they are about their products. Founder Jonathan Torch was nothing is not extremely knowledgeable about curls, curl texture, cutting curls, moisturizing curls, and using products like Curl Keeper’s Styling Cream (which contains enriching lecithin) to create beautiful styles with curly hair.

He is literally obsessed with your curly hair and put a lot of work into creating a collection to address every need. Torch even came up with Beach Mist to help coily lasses achieve the boho/beachy look that has long been promoted for straighter haired peeps. And, my fave, an award winning H2O Water Bottle that acts as a mister, so when you’re styling you can just add a little water to re-activate and rehydrate your twirly hair. Genius.

I have about 5 more brands to talk about, but it’s gorgeous out and I have to get ready to play kickball. Part 2 coming soon!